Chapter 4
Counter Attack
Dasaye and Sudor had traveled with the main body of ocean people after leaving Earth Base One. When they encountered the first submarine search vessel, Dasaye gleefully sent it a fake picture of the submarine sitting helplessly on the ocean bottom. They were on tour carrying out the plan worked out by an alliance of ocean and land people. Sudor and Dasaye left a small group maintaining the fake submarine location and began their journey. They chuckled together listening to the raucous group of seriously giggling dolphins practicing their submarine image projection skills on war ship sensors.
The typhoon continued west in the general direction of China as they turned east by northeast. Their goal was to cross the sea and reach Nation Pacifica while the other travel groups spread out looking everywhere in search of more Use navy patrols. Each group would do its best to send rescue vessels a convincing submarine image. The allied plan was practicing a total Pacific ocean counter attack. The plan was to gather as many recruits as possible as they journeyed.
Dasaye and Sudor traveled night and day, after a brief stop in Hawaii, where they had been able to confuse yet another search vessel, they pushed on for Nation Pacifica. Though they had been far too busy to dwell on the effect of their campaign within the Use government, they knew it was only a matter of time before actual weapons would be turned against them. They traveled with a group of twelve dolphins and two sperm whales. The weary band was looking forward to rest but crossed paths with a patrol ship less than ten kilometers offshore from Spaceport Pacifica.
Dasaye sent a picture of the sunken submarine to the patrolling navy ship while the sperm whales used their own special acoustic blast weapon to destroy the ship's sonar. Dolphins then swam under the vessel and maintained the acoustic image of a submarine sitting on the ocean bottom, this allowed Sudor and the whales to withdraw to a safer distance and stay out of sight.
A curious group of gray whales had stopped their northward travel to find out what was going on. They were peacefully floating in the silence following Dasaye's recital of recent events when a squadron of jets scream whooshed directly overhead, toward the patrol ship. The fighter bombers were going too fast and flying too low to see the whales and Sudor. There sights were focused on the water next to the patrol ship as they swept toward the ship and then released a pattern of bombs set to explode at varying depths beneath it.
Sudor had foreseen danger for an operation so close to the spaceport, luckily, he and the dolphins had devised a plan. Dolphins leaped to the plan the instant the bombs hit the water; they swam full speed to the stern of the patrol ship and began body surfing in its wake, holding their heads and sensitive hearing as high as possible out of the water.
Ugly boils of water surged to the surface behind them as they surfaced and the patrol ship moved beyond the bomb impact zone. One dolphin dove back under the patrol ship and resumed sending an image of the submarine to its acoustical sensor as soon as the bomb blasts ceased. The other dolphins stayed on the surface surfing in the ship wake and rotated position with the dolphin under the ship. One arrived under the ship to broadcast the acoustical image of the submarine when the one on duty below needed to breath and rest.
The surfing dolphins kept a lookout for any crew member who might come to look over the stern, none did. Three more squadrons of jets made bombing runs alongside the patrol ship before the afternoon was out. The dolphins were brave and stayed with the ship. They had committed themselves to saving Mother Earth from war humans and were committed to the struggle until they were either blown to bits or too exhausted to swim. It was scary and they were frightened, but they stayed on the job. No complaints were heard that day from the dolphin clan.
Sudor and the whales watched from far enough away to remain unnoticed. A sperm whale swam under a second arriving patrol ship and blew out its sonar with one blast from its powerful acoustical weapon when it was clear the bombing had stopped. Their secret remained a secret as night fell and the patrol vessels turned toward port to repair their damaged sensors.
The migrating gray whales left their new friends and continued north with the promise to send every dolphin, sperm whale, and orca they saw to the first island south of the spaceport. Sudor and Dasaye called it, "Earth Base Two."
The weary warriors would have been far more jubilant with their day's work had they known Nation Pacifica had seized the opportunity and sent blockade runners out of San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Ensenada and Vancouver. China, which had been hit hard by the typhoon, was the first destination of cargo ships laden with emergency medicines and food supplies. It was a desperate dash to aid friends across the sea who were also tightly blockaded by fleets from the United States of Earth.
Typhoon Terrible, confusion sown by ocean people, and the second pioneer spaceship at the spaceport had awakened a sleeping giant. Though Nation Pacifica did not have military power to confront the United States of Earth directly, the pioneers had given it the confidence to launch wave after wave of humanitarian aid toward the devastation left behind the typhoon. Nation Pacifica knew full well that some ships would be intercepted by the Use navy and the United States would pirate their cargo. They also knew that the relief convoys would divert war ships from blockade patrol while at the same time helping those in need. A second wave of blockade runners was being loaded to set sail from ports along Pacifica's entire coastline.
President Bushleeg was being awakened as Sudor and Dasaye rested. It was the middle of the day in China and the middle of the night at the Use Capital. China had sent a message requiring the President's attention. He was not happy about being awakened in the middle of the night.
Secretary Slashburn was angrily pacing the White House kitchen floor as attendants brought President Bushleeg his favorite breakfast cereal, Sugar Bombs. He was having a difficult time hearing the Secretary of State over the crackling Sugar Bombs in his mouth.
"Why didn't you wake up ol' Chewey or Chairman Homespun instead of me?" He asked waving his spoon while using the rapid chewing and exaggerated jowl movements he imagined British royalty used during their pompous prime.
"Don't pull your upper-class-squelch-the-peasant routines on me, Bushleeg," the Secretary of State growled threateningly. "I let it go by in public, but this is personal business and I don't have time for your petty little games."
President Bushleeg blinked, he swallowed a mouthful of exploding sugar bombs in one gulp. A flash of anger crossed his face and was replaced by genuine shock. He carefully adjusted his voice to a cold monotone before speaking. "I am the President. I use my heritage as one tool to motivate people. If you don't like the way I do things; resign. Someone will take your place in a heartbeat."
Slashburn didn't back off, he leaned forward on the table with both arms locked straight, staring at the President. "You think your pretty hot because you own the patent on the magic pill which lets people be as fat as they want without having to worry about heart attacks. You parlayed your little pill into ownership of National Drug Monopoly." The secretary's voice lowered to a barely audible hiss. "You may own NDM, Mr. President, but I own NFM. National Food Monopoly has figured out how to remove food value from food so consumers can choose whatever obesity factor they like and eat as much as they want. Nobody will need your silly little pills."
"You woke me up to tell me that?"
"No. All the Owners will wake up to their worst nightmare tomorrow morning. Whether I like it or not, you are the President. And we have a problem, Mr. President, Sir."
"Go ahead. I'm listening."
"Typhoon Terrible has devastated China. The Chinese are upset, they believe our refusal to honor pollution limits has increased the speed of global climate collapse and made the storms worse."
"Secretary Slashburn, you know as well as I do there's no such thing as global warming. Our system is solidly based, it clearly gives us dominion over Earth. If we listen to all that global warming hogwash our economy will never turn around and start growing again."
"Yeah? Pick up the phone and tell that to the Chinese. They know they are also contributing to the problem but say we have caused worsening problems longer. Their population has declined substantially to help cut down on pollution and make governing easier. The Chinese began selling bonds and home mortgages instead of buying them."
"So?"
"So where do think we get the money to buy all the stuff China makes?"
"Let me guess; they make home loans and buy our government savings bonds."
"You've hit the nail on the head, Bushleeg. Their policy made sense when they planned to buy this place. But now they've brought their population down almost as low as ours and they don't need an extra country anymore. The proceeds of selling our debt go to a far smaller population. They're calling it; "win-win-sucker.'"
"How did they do that?"
"By supporting education and quality living standards instead of buying bombs.
"My point is; after Typhoon Terrible, they need cash."
"Darn. We need cash, too. I was talking to Bank Chairman Homespun about that, recently."
"I'll tell you one thing, it's not coming from me. I've been following Chairman Homespun's advice since you became president, I sold my last savings bond yesterday."
"What? That's preposterous. Homespun has been telling me just the opposite; he's been telling me to have faith in my leadership wisdom and to follow my own economic policies. He told me to buy bonds if I thought I was building a strong nation."
"Well, Bushleeg, the fact is, your economic policies are absurd. Your bonds and mortgages are probably worth less than half what they were when you went to bed."
Bushleeg closed his eyes and tried to visualize a bonfire burning five hundred of the one thousand billion he'd put into saving bonds and home loan mortgages. An empty feeling of panic crawled out of his stomach and spread a chill over his suddenly clammy skin. His ears were ringing as he asked the Secretary what he had done with his money.
"Did you buy bonds in Nation Pacifica?" He asked, thinking he might have Slashburn arrested for treason and then seize his property.
"No," Secretary Slashburn replied. "Pacifica has a balanced budget constitution. The legal code there defines the present living generation as incapable of spending the next generation's money. It's against the law to spend children's money in Pacifica. There are no government debts to be paid off by kids when they grow up, it is forbidden."
"So what did you do with your money?"
"I'm giving it away, building family alliances, as fast as I can, before it becomes worthless. First, though, I bought one hundred billion dollars worth of futures in your former NM."
"My former National Monopoly? What are you talking about?"
"Some Owners have more than one National Monopoly; I figured I might as well, too. I reckon owning the National Food Monopoly and the National Drug Monopoly will be enough for my family, at least until my son gets old enough to take over the helm and go bargain hunting for himself."
"Bargain hunting?"
"The new NFM consumer brand is, "Food Lite." It looks like a big hit. National Food Monopoly has spent the past two years paying off all its debts, it should easily be enough to gobble up NDM. National Drug Monopoly, will then declare bankruptcy, reorganize, and start over debt free, under my management. By the time my boy retires from the military he will lead at least two national monopolies. He's already a great general, there's no telling what that boy will grow into. I'm very proud of him."
"At least two?" Bushleeg asked using his most innocent voice while probing for any information that might help him find a weakness his NDM management team might exploit.
"My son's wife is sole heir to at least one national monopoly, though, because of the privacy inherent in our private enterprise system, I'm not privy to the details."
"I see. And who is your son's wife?"
Secretary Slashburn blanched. He had just revealed the name of an Owner. His eyes narrowed to slits that glowed with anger at himself for violating this fundamental rule of private enterprise; what an Owner owned and the fact they were even Owners was their own private business.
The Secretary masked his anger and answered briefly, as if he wasn't worried, "My son is happily married to Winnie Homespun, they have two wonderful children. I enjoy being a grandfather and helping them to a secure future," he concluded, desperately wondering if he'd said too much. Had he given the President an opening?
"How nice," President Bushleeg answered as his mind raced to remember everything he'd ever heard about Chairman Homespun. "I suggest we move past our personal business for the moment and concentrate on the more important Matters of State before us."
"Quite right," Secretary Slashburn responded, still wondering if he'd made a fatal mistake. Bushleeg was a tenacious survivor, and ruthless. Slashburn did not want to underestimate him. The President's outward calmness was suddenly quite unnerving.
Secretary Slashburn actually strove to help President Bushleeg as they turned to the Nation's pressing financial needs. The first place they looked for cash was in the employees pension funds. They bent their minds around arcane accounting techniques and transferred the pensions to more urgent National needs. Each man knew that the United States of Earth was the free enterprise base for their National Monopolies; nothing is allowed to threaten the United States of Earth, quarrels and personal schemes were left to simmer on the back burner at times like this.
Neither President Bushleeg nor Secretary Slashburn knew Nation Pacifica was at that very moment piercing their navel blockade of its ports. Convoys of humanitarian aid were bound for China, and China was pulling every trick in the book to ensure the sorely needed supplies reached her shores. The Use corporate governing class had lost touch with what Life itself will do to keep on living. They were not even dimly aware that freedom encompasses serendipitous chance.
When Eddy, Kevin, and Leona had escaped through the squadrons of Use fighter jets after making their announcement at Spaceport Pacifica, ground defenses had opened up on them with a hail of antiaircraft and antimissile missiles. Among the crews operating the antimissile batteries was a young lieutenant from Nation Pacifica who had been drafted into service by the Use military for her knowledge of missile computer systems.
Her squad's launcher had been loaded with training missiles packed with decoy material and minimal explosive charges. Though her Use crew had warned her not to launch the missiles, she had countered that there was no choice; the order was to fire every last antimissile missile. With quick thinking and uncanny computer dexterity she had sent up a pattern of missiles which completely hid the fast moving spaceship in fluttering foil.
Eddy seized the opportunity and dove to sea level instead of following his instinct and blasting into space. He then flew at tremendous speed, less than five meters above wave tops, to a small harbor on the island Dasaye and Sudor had picked for Earth Base Two. They landed on shore near a high but thin waterfall that splashed to a ledge next to a lone palm tree. A well earned short rest was guaranteed by covering the ship with perfect-match camouflage.
Local fishermen supplied them with news and food, they advised the pioneers to lay low because something big was happening offshore from the spaceport. The pioneers accurately guessed what was going on and told one of the fisherman to keep a lookout for cetaceans traveling with a Delfinian alien. The march of ocean people committed to saving the planet from war humans instantly grew to include a new and completely secret alliance with every fishing boat on the long coast of Nation Pacifica, which bordered the entire gray whale migration route.
The pioneers were aware the blockade was being challenged because the fishing fleet had become their eyes and ears. Earth Base Two knew everything that was happening from the tip of Baja California sur to the Bering Straight land bridge area of Alaska, and a lot was happening.
Jacob was one fisherman who had told the pioneers they should stay hidden. Jacob was a strong and soft spoken young man who recognized Kevin as a neighbor of one of his friends. The spaceship crew saw Jacob as a rugged individual who lived a life at sea as much for its natural beauty as his love for constant challenge, he lived and enjoyed the fisherman's life as a continual testing of his keen wit. Jacob was also a life-long surfer and waves were good on the channel islands.
Jacob set his course north toward the spaceport as soon as he felt confident the pioneers were securely hidden and familiar with the island. He easily found Sudor, Dasaye, the two sperm whales and the dolphins resting in the open sea between Point Conception and the island.
The ocean people knew their fake image of the submarine had not fooled the Use Navy because the bombs that were used to try and kill them would also have destroyed a real submarine. They were gathered in a circle and discussing what to do next when they heard the engine hum of Jacob's approaching boat.
Jacob joined their circle with the quiet ease of one who knew what he was looking for and had found it exactly where he had expected. He stopped at the circled ocean people and switched off the engine. Walking forward, he sat down with dangling lower legs straddling the bow. He studied the dark shapes floating under the new moon light and didn't say anything. The only sound was made by occasional small waves slapping the boat hull.
"I am Jacob," he said at last.
Sudor swam to Jacob with one quick tail stroke, he took off his translation collar and handed it to him. Jacob put it on. "Now you can understand us, and we can understand you," he said, turning to Dasaye. "Can you understand me without my translation collar?"
"Yes, Brother Sudor. I have understood you for sometime now," Dasaye answered Sudor and then turned to Jacob. "Can you understand me?"
"Yep," replied Jacob.
"Greetings, Jacob. I am Sudor, this is Dasaye, the sperm whales are Oscar and Bolduan, you may need to meet the dolphins again individually to remember, however, please meet, Corey, Grana, Orie, Theil, Rivers, Ginger, Hewlo, Moon, Jumper, Howie, Grayghost, and Weed. Now tell us how you accomplished what a military empire could not and joined our circle. We are ocean people and very curious."
Jacob sat quietly for a moment and then repeated all the names with a brief nod to each, he remembered exactly who was who. "I was told about you and came to find you," he said quietly, leaning back on his arms. "I also am a curious ocean person."
"Good," Dasaye continued. "Now please reveal who told you about us before we all burst with curiosity."
Jacob smiled, he was already starting to like Dasaye's sense of humor. He accurately sensed that Dasaye had already guessed who told who what. "There's a spaceship parked over on that island," he said twisting to point at a pitch black area that was two shades darker than the night horizon.
"Would you lead us there?" Sudor asked.
"That's what I'm here for." Jacob said, standing and stretching imaginary kinks from of his back and legs. "Shall we go now?"
"Let's go," Sudor said.
Jacob quietly walked to the helm and started the engine. He backed slowly away from the circle, casually spun the boat, and pushed full power.
The race was on. Even the sperm whales joined in, they aren't the fastest of whales but any whale is fast for a short distance. Jacob stood at the wheel with his hair swept back, he was still slightly ahead when they reached the looming island's darker than night shape. They sped along the black-island shore on the mainland side.
Jacob checked continuously to be sure he wouldn't hit anyone. Sudor and Dasaye were neck and neck and slowly gaining, dolphins were right behind them, the sperm whales had game hearts but were beginning to lag back.
Jacob had felt nervousness about his next move since the first night he’d ever been here; he leaned toward shore and intently scanned for even deeper darkness. He turned a hard right as soon as he saw it and raced full-speed alongside dark cliffs leading into the harbor. He strained his eyes to see what he was looking for; a fast approaching faint white line marking the waterfall, he cut the engine and spun the wheel at the last possible instant. When the boat reached the anchoring spot he surged the power and stopped. Jacob had walked forward, dropped the anchor, and resumed his seat straddling the bow by the time the ocean people had reformed a circle, with him in it.
"The spaceship is sitting on that flat stone ledge behind the lone palm tree and next to the little waterfall," he said. "There are whale fossils in the rock, you might like to see them in the morning. I'm going to bed, if there's nothing else I can do for you now."
"We all need a rest after that," Sudor responded.
Dasaye's low chuckle vibrated the boat hull through the water. Jacob felt it in his legs and knew what it was. He responded with his own version of Dasaye's chuckle and Dasaye complimented Jacob on being a quick learner.
"Sleep well," they called out as Jacob ducked into his little cabin.
The cliff-lined island harbor opened directly to morning sunrise, Leona awoke early. She walked around the ship and out of its shade to greet the new day. As she gazed across the glassy water at the distant mainland, she noticed that Jacob's sleek island runner had returned while they slept, it lay at anchor not far from shore. Motion caught her eye further out, at the harbor mouth. A lone orca fin quietly cruised into the bay.
How beautifully it moves she thought, bending to the tiny stream flowing from the splashing waterfall and then across their landing ledge, where it fell a last little bit to the sea. She washed her face in the cool morning water and turned to see if the orca was still hunting in the harbor.
'Perhaps it left upon seeing a fishing boat,' she thought, shading her eyes against the sun with one hand. She was surprised to see the orca surface at the bow of Jacob's boat, then Jacob walking slowly from his cabin, a graceful silhouette against the rising sun. She was doubly surprised to see him sit down and straddle the bow with his feet dangling near the orca.
Jacob was completely unaware of Leona and intently looking downward at the orca. He appeared to be talking with it but the distance was too great for her to be sure. Leona hurried around the ship and called softly to Kevin and Eddy, so they could see the extraordinary sunrise sight.
Kevin bounced down the stairs, he reached for Leona's hand as they walked around the ship to see. "Eddy has them on the monitor," he whispered. "Wow. Amazing. Jacob talks with whales. It's either Dasaye or we're seeing something magic."
"I call it magic either way," Leona responded, squeezing Kevin's hand.
Kevin nodded his agreement and they watched Jacob suddenly swing one leg over the other and push off the bow with his arms. He arced his momentarily airborne body and then did a half twist as he dropped feet first toward the water.
"He's going swimming with an orca?"
"He's crazy!"
"Unless it's Dasaye."
But Jacob was not going swimming. Jacob stopped falling, they watched his head and shoulders eerily glide along the far side of his boat.
Kevin’s laughter also expressed wide-eyed dismay, "Jacob is either walking on water or riding on Dasaye's back!" He joked, knowing who it must be.
They watched Jacob round the stern of his boat and saw he was indeed standing on the orca's back. Jacob planted his feet as Dasaye accelerated toward shore. They heard Jacob let out a surfer's hoot of pure joy as Dasaye plowed through tight figure eights which brought them closer to shore with each pass.
The show was so exciting neither Kevin nor Leona noticed Sudor surface at their feet, he remained motionless and quiet until Dasaye stopped at the ledge. Jacob jumped ashore and tossed Sudor his translation collar in one smooth motion.
"Fancy meeting you here on Earth Base Two," Sudor commented wryly.
"It's name is San Miguel," Kevin said, trying not to look startled when he noticed Sudor directly beneath the ledge where he and Leona were standing.
"I figured it had a local name, us alien colonists will call it Earth Base Two for awhile, though," Sudor responded, looking up at them with a grin.
Eddy left the spaceship and joined them for the happy reunion, he handed Jacob another translation collar and sat down next to Sudor. They spent the morning telling and retelling the stories of their far flung adventures.
Sudor was particularly pleased to have a cooked meal after so long at sea. The pioneers fed him a delicious stew of seasoned scallops mixed with various seaweeds they had gathered along the rock ledge, and plantains from Earth Base One. Sudor ate enough for three humans, he sat on the rounded rock bank positively beaming with culinary delight as he finished his breakfast.
"Humans are learning to cook like delfinians," he said rinsing his bowl in sea water and handing it to Eddy. "Now we should get down to business and figure out what to do next."
"I'd like to go home for a few days," Kevin said. "It would be good for Leona and I to talk directly with our neighbors, then the full story of what is happening can spread throughout Nation Pacifica."
"I agree," Jacob said leaning back on muscular, sun tanned arms. "Kevin has a lot of friends, they will spread the story far and wide."
"It sounds a little risky," Sudor mused.
"No more than hiding out this close to the spaceport," said Leona throwing in her vote with Kevin and Jacob.
Everyone turned wordlessly to Eddy. He looked around the group and shrugged his shoulders, "It wouldn't be much different than being here, if we can go there without being discovered."
"I know the way," Jacob said. He didn't say much, yet when he spoke everyone listened. "If you fly fast and low going north by northeast, you'll come to a bridge across a big canyon; the spaceship will fit under it. Go on up that canyon and over the top of the mountain, there's enough wilderness back there to avoid settled areas. Work your way along the backside of the mountains till you reach an old road winding down hill, follow the old road back over the mountains toward the ocean and you'll be at Kevin's place."
"I know the road," Kevin said. "I camped all over those mountains when I was a kid."
"I still do," Jacob said. "When I'm not lobster fishing, I'm often gathering mushrooms in the back country, during rainy season. I'm sure you'll arrive home without being seen by anybody who would turn you in to the Use creeps."
"It sounds like a good idea to me, too," Dasaye commented. "We need more land people like Jacob."
"Okay," Sudor said. "We've made half a plan. There's not much point in us going back to the spaceport, we can spread out from here and tell all ocean people what's going on. What are you going to do, Jacob?"
Jacob smiled thoughtfully. He spoke with a far away look in his eye, as if dreaming new dreams, "I'll cruise along with you and Dasaye.” he said. “ We have a big fleet of fishing boats to organize, if I'm along to make introductions things will happen much quicker."
Everyone said good-bye and good luck as the pioneers turned and boarded their ship. Jacob and the ocean people were out of the harbor and distant specks before the camouflage was put away and the spaceship shot out into open sea. They were flying low, headed straight across the channel, toward the mainland.